Weigh Loss stall

liscott37
liscott37 Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been using MFP for 2 months now and I have stalled on my weigh loss for the last two weeks. I also have purchased a fitbit and been using that for the last 2 weeks. I don't think they are related but I am usually way under my calories that I am given and earned via fitbit. For example. last week I had 85 calories left on Monday, 37 on Tuesday, 391 on Wed, 658 on Thursday, and 600 on Friday. Am I really eating to little or is the Fitbit calorie calculation off?

thanks!

Replies

  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    Two weeks time is not enough time to freak out. It is perfectly natural for weigh loss to stall a few weeks due to water, sodium, bowels, hormones, etc. If your plan was working prior to the last two weeks then stick to it and give your body the time it needs to do its job.
  • liscott37
    liscott37 Posts: 10
    well, I wasn't freaking out but I am wondering if I am truly eating too little calories.,.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Need an open diary.
    Need to know your numbers (BMR, TDEE without exercise).
    Need to know your burns.
    Need to know how you're measuring your foods.
    Need to know weight goals.

    Something you should be aware of is definitely sodium levels. It can mask fat loss and even make it look like gains in some cases.

    Example...

    Week 1: lose 3 pounds, 1 pound fat, 2 pounds water.
    Week 2: GAIN 1 pound. 1 pound fat loss, 2 pounds water gain.

    One night, under calorie goal, I ate 1/3 bag of sunflower seeds. I gained almost 2 pounds. lol. Yay water!
  • liscott37
    liscott37 Posts: 10

    Something you should be aware of is definitely sodium levels. It can mask fat loss and even make it look like gains in some cases.

    Alright, unfortunately I do enjoy salt and salty foods..
  • liscott37
    liscott37 Posts: 10
    Need an open diary. - done
    Need to know your numbers (BMR, TDEE without exercise) - BMR - 2123, TDEE - 2548
    Need to know your burns - not sure what you mean about this - I do T25 M-F. I also walk around 10k steps per day
    Need to know how you're measuring your foods. - I weigh my foods.
    Need to know weight goals. - I am making smalls goals but I would ultimately like to be under 200 - I currently weigh 225.6.
  • LaneB89
    LaneB89 Posts: 93 Member

    Something you should be aware of is definitely sodium levels. It can mask fat loss and even make it look like gains in some cases.

    Alright, unfortunately I do enjoy salt and salty foods..

    That's alright, it's just something you need to be cognizant of. It'll cause water weight fluctuations, so you need to not freak out if you're a pound or two heavier one day. Look at overall trends, and give it a full month of stalled loss before you move to change your calorie intake. It's important to have a solid baseline maintenance level to work from, and it'll be hard to find that if you keep fiddling with calories any time you don't lose for a week or two.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    Eat back only half the calories you burn.

    Otherwise, things seem to be on the right track from the information given. So, most likely sodium and water retention.

    A few too many unlogged days though.
  • liscott37
    liscott37 Posts: 10
    Yes, I tend to not enter them on the weekend but I will make a conscious effort to do that
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    As to the Fitbit calories & MFP... What do you have your activity level set at for MFP? If you have it set to sedentary, for example but you're actually Active then you're going to earn a lot of extra calories. For example, lets say sedentary is 5000 steps a day and you're doing 14,000 per day. Well you're probably active, and an active person needs more calories. (Example only, I don't think there is a set # of steps per activity level.)

    My advice on using Fitbit & MFP together: let Fitbit track all of your activity. Don't log any exercise unless its not step based. Such as you'd log swimming or biking, but not aerobics. (Because the Fitbit will pick up your foot movements.)

    Assess your goals & set up at both sites, for height/weight/etc. If they're accurate and you're consistently weighing your food choices, then aim for your MFP calorie goal. And if you feel the need to eat extra based on your Fitbit calorie adjustment: do so.

    Personally I'm "Lightly Active" and generally end up with 200-400 Fitbit adjustment, and eat some of it. I try to stay around 1400-1600 total calories in each day, burn about 2100 per day total. (Exercise included.)

Categories